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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. E. LINDSAY.

COTTON CHOPPER.

No. 398,416. Patented Feb. 26., 1889..

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(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. E. LINDSAY.

COTTON GHOPPER.

No. 398,416. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

INVENTEIR;

QMJZ Jw m9; i 7a, i fiM/M UITED STATES PATENT Trice.

IVILLIAM E. LINDSAY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGN OR TO JOHN M.MCOLINTOOK AND \VILLIAM H. RICHARDSON, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

COTTON CHOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,416, dated February26, 1889.

Application filed September 10, 1888. fierial No. 284,990. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. LINDSAY, of the city of Baltimore, andState of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements inCotton-Choppers, of which the following is a specification.

In the description of the invention which follows reference is made tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in Figure 1 is aside elevation of the invention, and Fig. 2 a plan of the same. Fig. 3is a cross-section of Fig. 1, taken on the dotted' line co to andlooking in the direction indicated 4 by the arrow. Fig. 4c is a rearview of Fig. 1 with a portion of the handles of the plow re moved. Figs.5 to 9, inclusive, are details of the invention, Figs. 7, 8, and 9 beingenlarged.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.

In the said drawings, A represents the standard, to the lower end ofwhich the plow B is secured. The plow-beam is denoted by O, and thehandles are represented by D.

E is a hanger, (see Fig. 6,) held to the under side of the beam 0 bymeans of the clips a.

F is an arm, the upper end of which is confined sidewise between the twoside pieces, I), of the hanger, and held so as to be susceptible of avibratory movement through the medium of the shaft 0, which passesloosely through the whole. At one end of this shaft is a collar, (1-,and atthe other are secured in any suitable manner the sprocketwl1eels Gand II. The lower end of the arm F is illcreased in thickness, so as toform a hub, e, and this hub is bored so that the shaft f may turnloosely therein.

I is a driving-wheel, having spuds g on its periphery, fastened to oneend of the shaft f, and at the other end of the said shaft is securedthe sprocket-wheel J K is a shaft which passes through abracket, L,fastened to the side of the beam 0 and in the rear of the plow. Thefastening for the bracket preferably-consists of the bolt which holdsthe handles of theplow to the beam, as shown in Fig. 1. The shaft K doesnot turn in the bracket L, but is secured therein by means of aset-screw, h.

M is a stud held stationary on the shaft K by means of a set-screw, i.This stud carries a revolublc sheave, 7, for a purpose hereinafterspecified.

N is a sprocket-wheel arranged to turn loosely on the shaft K and on thelandside of the plow.

O is the hoe which consists, preferably, of a curved plate of steel ofelliptic form sharpened at its edge. This hoe is riveted to a stirrup,Z, which terminates in a shank, "m, arranged for longitudinal adjustmentin a channeled arm, n. The hub of the arm n is on a stud, q, the end ofwhich is spherical and placed over and fastened to the shaft K.

On one side of the hub of the arm n is a projection, 19, which carries aroller, 7'. This roller is arranged to come in contact with lugs s onthe inner face of the sprocket-wheel N when the same is in revolution. Aspring, 7 o P, unites the upper end of the bracket L with a pin, 6, onthe hub of the arm n, and serves to influence the'said arm to assume theposition shown by its dotted delineation in Fig.

3. The rotation of the sprocket-wheel N is derived from the one Jthrough the medium of the chain belts Q and R, (shown only in dottedlines,) and the sprocketwheels G and H.

I have shown the sprocket-wheel N as provided with four lugs, (see Fig.5,) and the hoe will therefore make four vibrations to every revolutionof the driving-wheel I; but I do not restrict myself to that number ofstrokes, as the number will have to be governed by S5 circumstances notnecessary here to mention. VVitha view to a change in number of strokesor vibrations of the hoe, I propose to furnish each machine with anassortment of sprocketwheels N, having different numbers of lugs, anyone of which wheels may be placed on the shaft K and used.

A chain, S, attached to the arm n at t, is carried under the sheave 7tand up to some part of one of the handles of the plow. This 5 chain atits end is provided with a handle, to, having a slot, (0. (See Fig. 9.)A screw, 1),

is passed through the slot a into the plowhandle, and when the saidscrew is in the up per end of the slot, as shown by its full delineation in Fig. 9, the chain is slack and the arm n with its hoe isfree to vibrate when the machine is in operation. hen the screw is inthe lower and curved part of the slot, the arm is drawn toward theplow-handles and held thereat, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4-, theroller 0 is clear of the lugs on the inner face of the sprocket-wheel N,and the hoe is inoperative.

To fully understand the operation of my invention, it must be known thatcotton-seed is planted by drills in rows, which are, say, three feetapart. When the plants are of a proper size, the chopper is made totraverse the field longitudinally of the rows with the landside of theplow about two inches from one row of plants and with the hoe held upand rendered inoperative through the means before described. In thisfirst movement of the machine the earth is cut by the plow about twoinches from the stalks of the plants and thrown by the mold-board towardthe adjoining row. hen the row has been fully traversed, the chopper isturned and moved to the other side of the first-mentioned row of plantsand carried back with the hoe arranged to be operative. In this returnor second operation the earth is cut in a line about two inches from theother side of the stalks of the plants and thrown toward the adjoiningrow, thus leaving the plants in a ridge of about four inches wide; butas the hoe is operative in this return movement of the machine it cutsout the ridge and the plants therein at each stroke or vibration, andleaves the required plants in hills.

The length of the hills is dependent on the number of lugs on the innerface of the sprocket-wheel N, and, supposing the circumference of thedriving-wheel to be thirty-six inches, the hills may vary in length fromtwenty-eight inches to nine inches, according to whether asprocket-wheel having one or four lugs is used.

It will be understood that the cutting-stroke of the hoe, or that inwhich a part of the ridge is cut away, is effected by the resiliency ofthe spring P,'the back or inoperative stroke of the hoe being caused bythe lugs on the sprocket-wheel coming in contact with the roller on thearm 92. By this arrangement if the hoe strikes a stone or some otherunyielding substance it, is merely stopped, and that without affectingthe mechanism which oper ates the hoe in backward direction and nodamage can therefore take place to the ma- I ranging these parts in thismanner is to prevent the stirrup from injuring the tops of the plantsleft by the hoe in the hills.

\Vhen the chopping devices are to be rendered entirely inoperative, thearm F is elevated and an eye, S, thereon connected with the hook 'l onthe under side of the beam C.

I claim as my invention 1. In a cotton chopper, a plow -beam, a hangersecured to the said beam, an arm connected to the said hanger by meansof a shaft carry in g sprocket-wheels, a shaft which passes through thelower end of the arm supporting a driving-wheel, and a sprocket-wheel, avibratory hoe in the rear of the plow, a shaft carrying a sprocket-wheelhaving lugs on its face adapted to come in contact with a roller on thesaid vibratory hoe to move the same in one direction, a spring to movethe said hoe in the other direction, and chain belts to connect the saidsprocket-wheels together and effect the movement of the sprocket-wheellast named, all combined substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a eotton-chopper, the combination oi. the beam having the hook T,with the hanger E, the pivoted arm F, having eye S, and the wheel I,whereby the said arm may be held in an elevated position and thedriving-wheel made inoperative, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

3. In a cotton-chopper,the combination of a bracket attached to somepart of the plowframe, a shaft secured within the said bracket, to whichis fastened a stud, a vibratory arm seated on the said stud having atits lower end a hoe and at its upper end a roller or projection, asprocket-wheel with lugs on its face which are adapted to come incontact with the said roller or projection and thereby force the saidarm in one direction, and a spring which connects the said arm with thebracket to move the said arm in a contrary direction, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

-I-. In a cotton chopper, a vibratory hoe which is moved in onedirection by means of a wheel carrying projections and in the otherthrough the medium of a spring, combined with a chain attached to thesaid arm, whereby the same may be drawn from the said wheel and heldthereat and inoperative, sub stantially as and for the purposespecified.

WILLIAM E. LINDSAY.

\Vitnesses:

WM. T. HOlVARD, DANL. FISHER.

